At 3 Point Productions, we believe the soundtrack to any event is extremely important in providing a first-class fan experience. Our Sports DJ Sound Off series is designed to help game producers and directors understand the impact canned music from a DJ can have when developing a theme night, building on in-game momentum or creating a true home field advantage.

Traditionally, college football production hasn't included a sports DJ or only featured a limited amount of music cues. Universities often rely on the school band, cheer team and student section to provide the gameday soundtrack. As production in collegiate athletics continues to evolve, we continue to see a rise in popularity of a hybrid style which includes using a sports DJ to complement the school band. Athletic departments have noticed the impact canned music from a DJ can have when building on in-game momentum, so I'm confident this trend will soon become a standard practice.

Here are some songs and concepts to share with your Sports DJ and incorporate into your 2015 College Football Game Days:

Player Warm-Up Songs

Player warm-up songs are songs that should be played during formal player warm-ups. I deem this time as theirs. The mood of the music should be game face and songs should be played with the intent of getting players game ready. If possible, field requests from your team to better cater to their liking. Here are some examples to add to your library:

One challenge I've come across year after year is player music requests that are too explicit (even the edited versions) to play in-stadium. So, rather than playing those songs, I download instrumental versions and play them as music beds during PA reads that fall into the formal player warm-up period. Here are a couple examples:

Hot songs are intended to carry momentum for the duration of a timeout and help build on fan excitement. Typically these songs are feel good and celebratory or songs that your crowd will respond to. Cue each track to a high energy portion of the song like the drop or hook. Here are a few examples to add to your library:

1. "Go" - Chemical Brothers (edited version)

2. "Feel Right" - Mark Ronson feat. Mystikal (edited version)

3. "Booyah" - Showtek

4. "Don't Owe You a Thang" - Gary Clark Jr.

5. "Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)" - Silento

Oldies but goodies:

1. "Tequila" - The Champs

2. "Let Me Clear My Throat" - DJ Kool (edited version)

3. "Pump It" - Black Eyed Peas (edited version)

4. "Hip Hop Hooray" - Naughty By Nature (edited version)

5. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand

Bumps

Bumps are songs cued at the end of a timeout, intended to take crowd and player energy to the next level for a big moment or upcoming play. Similar to hot songs, these should be cued to a high energy point. Here are some good examples:

1. "Watch Out For This (Bumaye)" - Major Lazer (edited version)

2. "Incredible" - Carnage & Borgore (Original Mix)

3. "Chimes" - Hudson Mohawke

4. "Turn Up" - Gent & Jawns (Kill the Noise Remix)

5. "Swoopin" - Baauer

Oldies but goodies:

1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana

2. "Where's Your Head At" - Basement Jaxx

3. "Boom" - P.O.D.

4. "Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin

5. "What's My Name" - DMX (edited version)

A well soundtracked game is sure to improve your overall fan experience. Outside of the songs highlighted here, there are plenty of opportunities to be creative in theming your presentation. Take a good look at how you're currently theming in-game prompts, promos and sponsor activations to ensure the soundtrack is fresh and fits the brand(s) you're working with. A great audio experience is built in pre-production - not on game day. Build cues for every possible in-game scenario, so when the time comes, your DJ is a click away from responding with the perfect song or sound effect. Game presentation is an art form and the beauty is in each detail.

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3 Point Productions

Experience Is Everything

We use the power of live events to bring brands to life and create memories for fans. Within the sports industry, our experience and standards are unmatched and our creative passion is unrivaled. We drive the evolution of fan experience one gameday at a time.